Chapter 1
Tony
It was nine at night and both Jake and I were still at the office, but I was about to be on my way to a party at a club. I had no damn interest in going, but my brother, Andy, just turned twenty-one and we’d recently been reunited. It took me years to find him after the events that changed our lives forever.
“Tony, you’re sweating, man,” Jacob said as I straightened my tie. He was my boss and best friend. I owed him everything and more, especially after the papers I signed today.
“You know how I am in crowds.”
“Remember that it’s just a club. This isn’t war. Hell, maybe you’ll meet your future wife there.” He winked, taking a seat at his desk.
“I doubt it. What are you so chipper about anyway?”
“I’m about to make a huge deal. Hello,” he exclaimed. Yes, a huge deal that he let me be a part of. Well, all three brothers agreed to let me taste a bit of success.
“Um, how could I forget? This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me.”
“You deserve a break, Tony. You have the head on you to be successful. Now that I think about it, stay away from the females. They can ruin everything.”
“I’ve stayed away for twenty-three years. One night isn’t going to make a difference for me.” It wasn’t a secret to him that I was still a virgin at my age. After my past, I didn’t want to be like my father. I worried every damn day if I had his bastard gene in me. Could I be that evil? Even as a soldier who killed the enemy, I still had more sympathy for the dead than my father had for the living. My virginity was a bit of planning as well as by accident. I was horny all the time and saw some attractive women, but something inside held me back. Instead, I’d just go home and jack off until I passed out, though it was rare for me to even do that. I think my father’s physical and emotional abuse got to me. I hated myself and everything that I wanted in life.
“You’ve been harsh on yourself. You know it’s not because my brothers and I have genes like our father that makes us like him. It’s the lessons he instilled in us. You hate what your father stood for, so you live with the notion that it’s wrong. I don’t see you becoming abusive, physically or mentally. Trust me, I’m great at picking out gems, even in the most fucked up places.”
“That you are, Jake.”
I took another look in the mirror and ran my hands through my perfectly styled short hair. Years of strict discipline couldn’t be broken. My tailored suit, paid for by the company, looked immaculate.
“You never look disheveled. I don’t even know why you bother to check.”
“A habit. Anyways, I’m meeting up with Andy in a bit and I have to remind him that being a slob is not cool.”
“It is to him. Years of oppression makes people rebel or stay formed to the pattern. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m damn neat myself, but you take it to a new level.”
“I’m working on it, but since I’m going out, I don’t want to be approached by anyone. My suit should intimidate those kids.”
“Kids, more than half of them are our age.”
“Then why don’t you go out?”
“Meeting with the family tonight. Have a good one, though.” He had more excuses to avoid socializing than I ever could. The most he did was with me and the occasional sports game.
I shook my head and walked out the door of his office. I drove out to the club, which was almost a damn hour away. Andy was lucky that I loved him. This wasn’t my scene at all.
~~~~
I entered the club in my black suit, looking more like the owner than just a patron. This place wasn’t meant for someone like me. I was too stiff and hardened to be in here, trying to grind up on a young little thing with a fat ass and downing lots of liquor. Why was I here? I thought to myself, looking at all the overly made up faces with tight dresses or tops where their nips were a twist away from being exposed. I combed my fingers through my thick, brown hair, hoping to calm the sudden need to turn and run. My stark blue eyes scanned the crowd, but I didn’t see my brother.
The place was crowded and hot. I could smell the stench of cologne and perfume mixed with sex and sweat. Damn, my nostrils weren’t going to like me in the morning. I had a very acute sense of smell that was making my eyes water and my head throb. I needed a drink, and fast. The bar was crowded with young bodies cramming together to get their hands on a drink, but as I approached, a group stepped away. I placed my large hands on the bar top where it was dry and leaned my huge frame forward. Immediately, I caught the bartender’s eye. Her interest was clear, itching for a tip or sex, but either way it got her to me.
“How can I help you, handsome?” she asked over the loud music.
“A Jack and Coke, please,” I replied, looking at her with a serious gaze. I wasn’t interested in pussy, just in finding my brother. The jackass wasn’t here yet. He was studying in college and took time to be young.
She handed my drink while I handed her a ten. “Keep the change,” I muttered, then turned around to scan the dance floor.
This place wasn’t the best in town. It was run by a shady character. I just wanted out of here before my suit was ruined. I spotted someone on the dance floor that looked like he could be Andy. I took one huge gulp from my drink, finishing and setting it on the bar. Then I made my way to the dance floor, but as I got closer, I realized it wasn’t him. I did an imme
diate round about when I slammed into a small-framed body. I looked down because she was clearly over a foot shorter and I was hit. Fuck if I knew what they called this emotion, but it was a culmination of three at once, possessive, lust-filled, and protectiveness all bottled up in one.
I looked into her doe like eyes, wondering if that green was real or did she have on those contacts that looked natural. She had long raven colored hair that framed her face and rested on her shoulders in waves. It shined in the terrible lights, and I itched to slip my hands through it and pull her mouth to me. A mouth that had been parted since we bumped into each other. It was plump with a nude glossy color that made her look just above eighteen. This was a twenty-one and older club, but something told me she had snuck in.
“I’m sorry, beautiful,” I finally managed to utter after ogling her for more than I should have. It was longer than I’d spent looking at any woman, and I wasn’t ashamed of it either. Something about her had my nuts pulling up and tightening, my dick stiffer than the night wind. Everything I was demanded that she belong to me. A feeling I’d never had before. At twenty-three, I’m one of the oldest virgins around, or so I believed. It wasn’t something men talked about, but as a man with a terrible, violent past, women weren’t on the road to making me whole, or I had thought so until she collided into me.
“It’s okay. If you’ll excuse me, I have to take this to my friend,” she said, trying to end our encounter, but her body hadn’t moved an inch.
“I’m Anthony, you are?”